1 (i) Decomposers

Decomposers are organisms that break down large chemicals in dead organisms into small chemicals. Decomposers are “nature’s recyclers.” They return basic chemicals to the environment for other living things to reuse. For example, the leaves of many trees die in autumn and drop to the ground. Decomposing bacteria spend the next months breaking down the chemicals in the dead leaves. The broken-down chemicals mix with the soil and can then be absorbed by the roots of nearby plants.